The bottom line says it all: Mark Waid defeated the five fans at the C2E2 Comic Convention trivia contest.Michael Sangiacomo, The Plain Dealer

CHICAGO -- The good news is the Legion of Comic Book Fans (actually there are only five members, including me) was beating mutant Mark Waid in the Great Silver Age Trivia Contest at Chicago's C2E2 convention on Sunday.

But Waid won in the end, as he always does. The good news is he only won by less than 300 points, far less than his usual winning spread of more than 1,000.

Look in your rear-view mirror Waid, we're gaining on you.

The contest was a blast. It lasted an hour and there were dozens of questions. We answered many of them right, kicking ourselves for those we answered wrong, even though we knew the right answer, or should have. Then there were those questions that no human being should be able to answer, like who was the boyfriend in DC's "A Date With Judy" (1947 through 1960)?

Seriously? (It was Ogden Pringle.)

Comic artist superstar Neal Adams signs autographs for fans (at $20 a pop). He said his next work for DC Comics is the Superman series and a New Gods series.Michael Sangiacomo, The Plain Dealer

I must have sweated off 10 pounds on the stage and once went into a complete blackout. Seriously. I was asked to name two of the original members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. When asked, I actually smiled. Piece of cake, I know them as well as my own name. Then, the weirdest thing happened, my mind went black. Not blank, black. There was nothing there.

The microphone was in my face. I remembered one member, Charlie 27, the Earthman who grew up in the skies of Jupiter. And I knew the others... there is the blue-skinned guy...name begins with a y...

I slowly spoke the name, even before I fully remembered it. "Y.....On..........Du," I said, very slowly, the name coming to me one letter at a time. "Yes, Yondu."

Correct! The others were Vance Astro and Martinex and I can't believe I forget them.

C2E2 in Chicago was crawling with supercharacters. Batman, Green Arrow and the Scarlet Spider, pose for a quick shot.Michael Sangiacomo, The Plain Dealer

This is why I could never go on "Jeopardy," because my mind does not work that fast. Give me a piece of paper and an hour and I'm great. It's also why Mark Waid does so well in the high points "Lightning Round" because, as I said, he is a mutant. Or a computer. Or a mutant computer. And he blurts out answers because announcer Craig Shutt even finishes the question.

Some were easier than others, but all required a ridiculous amount of useless knowledge about comics that were released from 1956 through 1970. The two signposts for the beginning and end of the Silver Age: the first Silver Age hero The Flash in 1956 and the last Jack Kirby issue of the Fantastic Four in 1970.

It was a great time, next year I'll even study for it. So watch out Waid.

Here are some of the questions. The answers are at the bottom.

1. Who created jewel Kryptonite?

2. Who was the first villain to fight the Justice League in the group's own series?

3. When did The Thing first utter his battle cry "It's Clobberin' Time?"

4. Who was the first non-mutant invited to join the X-Men?

5. Who was Professor X fighting when he lost the use of his legs?

6. How did Nick Fury first enter SHIELD headquarters?

7. Who was the best man at the wedding of Barry Allen (The Flash)?

8. What does Hawkgirl wear to indicate that she is married, according to Thanagarian tradition?

9. What 20th century member of the Superman family attended the funeral of the 30th century hero, Lightning Lad?

10. Who fought the Metal Master?

ANSWERS

1. Jax-Ur

2. Despero

3. Fantastic Four No. 22 against the Mole Man.

4. Spider-Man

5. Lucifer

6. By sitting on a barber chair that sucks through the floor of a barber shop.

7. Wally West (Kid Flash)

8. Earrings

9. Lori Lemaris (Superman's mermaid girlfriend, though why and how she made the trip was never explained.)

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